Xenoblade's Starvation Tactics cutscene in a nutshell
by jolteon564
Summary: This is by far my favorite cutscene in Xenoblade Chronicles, and I decided to make a nutshell version of the cutscene, in my paraphrased words. I'll include the original in-game dialogue, with the nutshell dialogue in italics underneath.


This is by far my favorite cutscene in _Xenoblade Chronicles,_ and I decided to make a nutshell version of the cutscene, in my paraphrased words. I'll include the original in-game dialogue on the side, with the nutshell dialogue in the middle.

Egil:  
Vanea... Where have you been?  
 _Oh, hey there, Vanea. Wonder where you've been._

Vanea:  
Egil, why do you go so far  
to destroy the Bionis?  
We survived that battle.  
We should have created a new world  
in which we could live in peace.  
And we still can…  
 _What is with you, all bent on revenge?  
_ _We didn't die, so why not create a new world?  
_ _It's still possible._

Egil:  
The rage of those who were annihilated  
by the Monado will never dissipate.  
 _It's all the Monado's fault, so there._

Vanea:  
Think not about avenging the dead.  
Think of the living. Please, Egil!  
I don't want to lose you. Are you so  
resigned to giving your life for this?  
 _Oy vey…  
_ _Is that all you care about? Kicking the Bionis' butt?  
_ _I told you we're not dead, so why do you want to die?_

Egil:  
Life or death, I care for neither of these.  
The agonised cries of our brethren  
resound within my ears.  
Until they are silenced, I am deaf to all else.  
 _Literally everyone died during that attack, Vanea.  
_ _I've got revenge on my mind, sista, and you can't take my mind off revenge._

Vanea:  
Egil…  
 _Hoo boy.  
_ _It's gonna take a lot to change his mind._

[Vanea turns just as Shulk and his companions enter.]

Egil:  
So you have finally arrived. Heir to the Monado.  
' _Bout time you showed up._

[The group stand before Egil.]

Shulk:  
You are Egil, leader of Mechonis.  
 _So, you're Egil, the Mechonis' head honcho._

Egil:  
That I am.  
Of course. You have never seen  
me outside of my Face - Yaldabaoth.  
But even if I am without it,  
you will never defeat me.  
 _Mm-hm, I'm that guy. Pretty handsome, don'tcha think?  
_ _Oh, wait. You haven't seen me without my Face.  
_ _Ya like him? I call 'im Yaldabaoth.  
_ _Even though I don't have him on me,  
_ _I can still kick your butts._

Shulk:  
Wait. I didn't come to fight you.  
 _Look, I don't wanna fight._

Egil:  
Cowardice?  
Then relinquish the Monado  
and kneel before me.  
 _Aww, are you chicken?  
_ _Then hand over the Monado  
_ _and grovel at my feet._

Shulk:  
I didn't come to surrender to you either.  
I just want to know something.  
 _Groveling ain't on the schedule either.  
_ _Just came to ask a question._

Egil:  
You have my undivided attention.  
Ask your question.  
 _I'm all ears.  
_ _Ask away, then.  
_ _I've got all the time in the world._

Shulk:  
I've seen the legends of the Machina  
right here in the capital.  
I think I understand why you  
want to fight the Bionis.  
But why send the Mechon  
to attack the people of Bionis?  
 _I just found out a crap-ton of info about the Machina.  
_ _I think I get it now, why you hate the Bionis so much.  
_ _But why make us suffer at the hands of the Mechon?  
_ _Are you some crazy sadist or something?_

Egil:  
Hahaha!  
 _Heh, that's funny.  
_ " _Crazy sadist." Good one._

Shulk:  
I don't see the joke! We share the same world!  
The Homs, Nopon and High Entia live in  
harmony, so why not the Machina too?  
 _Hold on a second, why is this funny?  
_ _We all live in the same world, and if  
_ _the Homs and the Nopon and the High Entia can live  
_ _together without going at each other's throats, why not the Machina?_

Egil:  
Tell me, boy. Are you familiar with  
the concept of starvation tactics?  
 _You ever hear of a little thing called starvation tactics?_

Shulk:  
Of course.

[Reyn crosses his arms in confusion, so Dunban explains for him.]

Dunban:  
A military strategy in which you cut  
the supply lines and starve out the enemy.  
 _Sheesh, you make me seem like a walking dictionary.  
_ _Military strategy. Cut off supplies to the enemy side.  
_ _Starve 'em out._

Egil:  
So then you understand that that is the  
best method by which to ensure victory.  
I have no resentment or hatred  
for the peoples of Bionis.  
I am simply depleting the Bionis' energy. Striking back  
at the titan that robbed my people of their lives.  
 _I take it you understand that it's what I've been doing.  
_ _I don't have anything against you guys.  
_ _I'm just doing my job.  
_ _Depleting the Bionis' energy_.  
 _Getting revenge n' all that jazz._

Shulk:  
I don't understand.  
 _I don't get it._

Egil:  
Perhaps you need me to put things more simply.  
All life on Bionis exists purely to feed its master!  
 _*sigh* Then allow me to give you a simpler explanation.  
_ _The Bionis just wants to eat you._

Shulk:  
What?!

Egil:  
Ether, the base element of all things  
that exist in this world.  
My body, your bodies... You are aware  
that ether is the foundation of them all?  
 _So we're all made of ether.  
_ _Myself, you guys, everything.  
_ _You know that, right?_

Shulk:  
Yes.  
 _Dang, your voice is hot.  
_ _I-I mean, 'course I do._

Egil:  
Ether is power. You are the  
source of that power.  
All life that is born from the Bionis dies,  
and is returned to the Bionis.  
Unlike the Mechonis, the Bionis feeds on ether  
provided by those who return to it.  
Upon the moment of its eventual awakening,  
it will require an incredible number of lives.  
 _Simply stating, ether is power.  
_ _And apparently, you're the source of that power.  
_ _You're from the Bionis, so when you die,  
_ _you're gonna become ether.  
_ _And when the Bionis awakens,  
_ _about a million of you are gonna have  
_ _to die and become ether to replenish its energy, so…  
_ _Yeah._

Fiora:  
But that means…  
 _Wait, what?_

Reyn:  
What're ya talkin' about?!  
Are ya sayin' we're just food?!  
 _Hold on a second, we're gonna be APPETIZERS?!_

Egil:  
It was the Bionis that created you  
for such a purpose. Not I.  
 _Hey, it's not my job, it's the Bionis' job._

Shulk:  
So you attacked Bionis to reduce  
the Bionis' power supply?  
 _You're saying…  
_ _The whole "attacking Bionis with Mechon" thing was just so  
_ _you could reduce its power supply?_

Egil:  
Correct! You are nothing more than bugs  
to be devoured by my sworn adversary.  
Do not speak to me of your  
foolish dreams of unity.  
 _Well, DUH! What did you think I was doing? Sitting here  
_ _twiddling my thumbs and waiting for the Bionis to screw us over?!  
_ _What did you think that whole speech was for, just so I could hear myself speak?!  
_ _Ay yi yi. You guys are hopeless._

Shulk:  
Foolish?  
We only grieve for those we've lost, as you do!  
Machina or Homs we've suffered the same!  
Don't tell me it's different!  
 _Hopeless? Now listen here, mister!  
_ _We've suffered as much casualties as you have!_

Egil:  
Indeed. We have both suffered.  
 _Mm-hm. I agree with you, somewhat._

Shulk:  
So then...


End file.
